The Good Son

by Paul McVeigh

Winner of The Polari Prize
Chosen for World Book Night 2017
Chosen as City Reads Brighton 2016
Shortlisted for The Authors' Club Best First Novel Award 2016
Finalist for The People's Book Prize 2016
Shortlisted for The Guardian's Not The Booker Prize 2015
ELLE Magazine Best Books of 2015
Irish Independent Books of the Year
Wales Arts Review Best of 2015
The Reading Agency Staff Picks Best of 2015
Gransnet Christmas Pick 2015
Book of The Month: The Tablet, BBC Radio, Ulster Tatler
Longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award

Mickey Donnelly is smart, which isn’t a good thing in his part of town. Despite having a dog called Killer and being in love with the girl next door, everyone calls him ‘gay’. It doesn’t help that his best friend is his little sister, Wee Maggie, and that everyone knows he loves his Ma more than anything in the world. He doesn’t think much of his older brother Paddy and really doesn’t like his Da. He dreams of going to America, taking Wee Maggie and Ma with him, to get them away from Belfast and Da. Mickey realises it’s all down to him. He has to protect Ma from herself. And sometimes, you have to be a bad boy to be a good son.

The Good Son has been called 'outstanding' by Toby Litt, 'a work of genius' by Pulitzer Prize-winning Robert Olen Butler and McVeigh 'a wildly important new talent' by Laura van den Berg who Salon calls 'the best young writer in America'.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Irish Literature, Book Club, LGBT, Gay

234 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2015

About the author

Born in Belfast, I studied theatre at University and co-founded a theatre company to write and direct plays. After producing a number of plays I moved to London to write comedy shows before turning to prose.

My short fiction has appeared in literary journals and anthologies published in the UK and USA and been translated into Spanish, Polish and Turkish. My stories have also been on BBC Radio 3,4, & 5. In 2017 I was shortlisted for Irish Short Story of the Year.

My debut novel 'The Good Son'​ was been chosen for World Book Night 2017. It was City Reads 2016 book for Brighton and was the winner of The Polari First Novel Prize. It was shortlisted for The Guardian's 'Not The Booker'​ Prize 2015, shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and finalist for The People's Book Prize. It was voted Best of Year 2015 in Elle Magazine, the Irish Independent, Wales Arts Review, The Reading Agency, Top Beach Read in The Pool and a Gransnet Christmas Read.

'The Good Son' has been translated into French (where is was shortlisted for the Prix de Roman Cezam), German and Hungarian and Russia.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mickey Donnelly is a pre-adolescent boy living in 1980's Belfast. He's Catholic and lives in Ardoyne. Ardoyne was one of the most notorious Republican areas during the Troubles. It borders heavily Protestant areas that were sites of paramilitary activity, and dangerous territory for Catholics. After the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and "peace", the Ardoyne neighborhood has continued to be a site of sectarian violence. It makes an interesting choice for the setting of this novel because the limited freedom of movement that Mickey and his peers experience was not in their imagination.

Mickey dreams of going somewhere outside of his neighborhood. Belfast is ringed by mountains and young Mickey wonders what lies beyond. His dream is to go to America. Given his poverty, and his family situation, it is unlikely this will happen. He has no friends, and plays with his younger sister, which earns him the reputation of being weird, as well as insults that he is gay. It doesn't help his rep in the neighborhood that he truly is a good son, looking out for his mother who struggles to care for her family, while her alcoholic and abusive husband drinks away any money she brings home.

Mickey is a survivor. Surrounded by threats of violence involving British troops, IRA hard men, Protestant paramilitaries, and even in his own household, he maintains an optimism and sweetness that is hard to comprehend. Mickey represents the resilience of children in warfare. Although the Troubles were small scale, and affected mostly working class neighborhoods (something Mickey realizes on a day trip up to Cave Hill), for the people in those areas, it was a daily fight for survival. They had to avoid being suspected by the British Army and/or the police (RUC) who could raid your house in the middle of the night, or being suspected by the IRA who would easily kneecap those they suspected of collaboration, or worse. Kneecapping was an IRA punishment that involved shooting someone in the kneecap, but more often victims were shot in legs, and/or elbows. There were over 2500 victims of this particular IRA punishment during the Troubles. You will find yourself cheering for Mickey throughout because he truly is a good soul and a good son.

This is McVeigh's first novel. McVeigh, who is from Belfast, has worked in theater, and written for theater as well as short stories. The novel won various prizes including The LGBT writing prize, which began in 2011, is awarded annually to writers whose first books explore gay, bisexual and transgender experiences through poetry, prose, fiction or nonfiction.

[Nancy Freund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I raced through this book in a flash, and I already want to read it again. (Something I almost never do). I've totally fallen in love with young protagonist Mickey Donnelly. I was fortunate enough to be in London for the book's launch last week and to hear the author read the first chapter aloud. It was funny, heartwarming, a little scary, uplifting, intriguing, and quite a set up... and beautifully delivered, I might add. Paul McVeigh is a story-teller of the highest order, on the page and in person. My friend had read an advance copy of 'The Good Son' and blurbed it. I turned to her after the reading, stunned by its fabulous beginning, and asked, is the rest of this thing that good? She said, "better." And my God, is it ever.
I'm a lover of all things literary, but what impresses me more than anything is when a novel reads easily, yet delivers a big impact. 'The Good Son' is accessible and a joy to read, truly a page turner, and at the same time, its structure is masterful, and its nuanced use of language, dialogue and narrative create a remarkable journey of discovery. I'm American first, where Catholics and Protestants are often camped out together, so I have never fully understood "the troubles." Gaining perspective through Mickey Donnelly's experience adds a new depth of understanding. That story is very much at the heart of this novel, but so is the universal coming-of-age story... all the more interesting as it both matched and diverged from my own stories from the 1970s. (Mickey's ranking of favorite numbers from the 'Grease' movie, i.e. "filim," was a sparkling example of a perfect match). There isn't a single moment, objective correlative, or line of dialogue that doesn't play a role in the full unfolding of this story. This makes sense when you consider Paul McVeigh's also a short story writer. The precision required in that genre is exactly what he pulls off in this, a full length novel. From a writer's viewpoint, this work is a true thing of beauty. From a more casual reader's viewpoint too, it's plain brilliant.
At risk of sounding like I'm going over-board here, let me add one last comment. The last book I felt this strongly about, in terms of its completeness, its build, its pacing and punch, its lyrical perfection, its use of a young protagonist to reveal exceedingly adult issues, and its voice was 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. Quite different novels, but I bring it up in terms of my own tastes and just to mention that yesterday that one won the Pulitzer. Just sayin'.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the Irish Times for choosing this for their book of the month, thus calling my attention to it. Apparently Paul McVeigh, was inspired to write this after seeing a picture of a bombed out shell of a building in Syria, reminding him of life in Belfast during the Troubles. Mickey Donnelly, his narrator/hero, is spending his summer before secondary school on the sectarian streets of his neighborhood, where his love for his younger sister and his beleaguered Ma and his gathering awareness of his Da's alcohol fueled shiftlessness makes home not a safe haven. His fantasizes of escape and violence inform much of the summer. What was especially resonant for me was the truth of the language, the very specific NI patois so accurately portrayed. It sings.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful evocation of 80s Belfast from the PoV of a prepubescent boy of confused sexuality. As well as dealing with being called 'gay', an alcoholic and abusive (to his mother) father, his dreams of being an actor, and educational frustration, he has the Troubles to cope with. He's Catholic and lives in the Ardoyne area and the 'Brits' patrol his street in tanks and on foot with rifles, there are bombs and violence: it's routine. Packed with details of sweets, TV programmes etc. Of the time, it has enough energy to light up Ulster and beyond. One of those books that keep you reading through the night. 4.5 stars rounded up.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul McVeigh's debut novel has been pretty well received by critics since its release, and while it might not be up there with the 'greats' of Belfast literature, it was an enjoyable read.


The novel is essentially a coming of age tale, told from the point of view of Mickey Donnelly, telling the story of the summer of I assume 1980, given the fact that he's about to start secondary school and was born on the first day of the Troubles. And the Troubles loom large in Mickey's life, given the fact that he lives in Ardoyne, one of the areas most effected by the conflict in the sectarian patchwork of North Belfast. He lives with his deadbeat father, his hard pressed and somewhat harsh mother, his older sister and brother Paddy, and his best (and really only) friend, his younger sister, Wee Maggie. 


Each chapter portrays a week of the summer, and we see Mickey struggle with life at home, and find it difficult to fit in on the street, his effeminate manner very much out of step with the personalities of his peers. He suffers ups and downs, finds out things about family members, becomes embroiled with the paramilitaries, and deals with the confusion of his own emerging sexuality.


This all sounds quite depressing, but in fact the book is a humorous one, and McVeigh does a pretty good job of capturing the voice of the 11 year old Mickey. For the first 50 pages, I felt that the book mirrored Tony Macauley's 'Paperboy', set at a similar time just a short distance away, but while Macauley's book was a little cliched, this one felt a little more authentic-I'd say that Mickey, personality wise at least, is based on the author himself, which no doubt helped achieve this.


A light hearted read that will be enjoyed by anyone with any interest in Belfast.

[Clair Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book club read, chosen as it was Brighton ' s City Read. This is the reason I love my book club so much - I would never have picked this up and if I had I wouldn't have chosen to read it. The story is told from the point of view of Micky, an 11 year old Catholic boy being brought up during the troubles in Northern Ireland. The book is written in the dialect of Northern Ireland which takes a bit of getting used to. Micky is an outcast but loves his Mammy and wants to be a good boy. It's a good story and gives you a sense of what it was like to be growing up during the troubles.

[Leselissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

've read it a second time now, coz it's so awesome!
Mickey became one of my most fave book characters of all times. he's adorable! :D
I wouldn't mind a continuation of this book, coz i could've read it on forever.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bathroom book FINALLY DONE!!!

But unfortunately it was not very good. The story was confusing sometimes and I didn’t care about Mickey very much, it felt like he just did things and that was the whole plot. There was stuff with the IRA but even that was like too confusing to really understand? Hated how much he talked about his dick that was really uncomfortable soooo yeah.

We finished it! 🥳🥳

[Tripfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel set in Belfast (“funny and poignant”)

When you pick up the slim volume that constitutes McVeigh’s first novel and read the blurb on the back, you might be forgiven for putting it back down again. I was tempted to, I must admit. Surely, not another book about growing up in adversity, I thought. Well yes, it is about that; the narrator, Mickey Donnelly, gives us an account of the summer before starting at secondary school in the Ardoyne, one of the most turbulent estates in Belfast of the 1980’s. But McVeigh’s book is much more than that; for a start, the voice of the narrator is so captivating that I challenge any reader to leave the book unfinished.

Mickey Donnelly lives in troubled times, but has additional troubles of his own. He doesn’t fit in; he’s clever and sensitive and, as a result, has been branded “gay” by the tough kids who inhabit his confined world. He’s lonely, ostracised by the other boys and his only friend is his sister, Wee Maggie, of whom he is fiercely protective. He tries so hard to be a good son to his much adored Ma and dreams of being able to take her to America, away from the Troubles and away from his Da, whom he hates. Unfortunately, his only hope of ever achieving this dream is the grammar school, but the prohibitive cost of the uniform cruelly close the door on that escape route.

This is such a good read; it’s funny and poignant by turns but it’s also a chilling commentary on what living through those times in Belfast meant for some people. We are made to understand exactly how repeated exposure to brutality deadens feelings and this message is delivered with even more punch for coming through the voice of an eleven year old boy. McVeigh’s brilliant use of dialect has you chuckling throughout, but you never lose the sense of danger. From the beginning of the second chapter, when we are told that it is “Nine weeks til St. Gabriel’s”, the tough secondary modern school that Mickey dreads, you feel that you’re sitting on a ticking time bomb. At times, I found myself holding my breath as I read of Mickey’s frantic struggle to find a solution to his problems.

If you plan on visiting Belfast any time soon, then this would be a good book to read before you do. It will, if nothing else, make you aware of the past that lies behind the present sophisticated surface of that city. But, even if you’ve no intention of visiting, you shouldn’t miss this read. As Mrs. Donnelly might say, “If you’ve a lick of sense, read this wee book, right nigh.”

McVeigh will surely go on to write more great novels and to win awards for them but, personally, I’d like to read a sequel to this one. I don’t want to leave Mickey Donnelly there – I want to know what happens to him later.

This review + author chat first appeared on our blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/good-son/

[Maja · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to say that this book is definitely not one of my favourites. The first thing I didn't like is that it's written with a strong dialect. It made me little confused because I don't understand Northern Irish very well and I had to think through it. For example word "wee", many dictionaries gave me a definicion in British English and it didn't make any sense. It took me much time which I could have spent for something more fruitful than looking through dictionaries.
Another thing is that there were a lot of descriptions of weird situations that made me feel downrightly uncomforable. The main character, Mickey Donnelly is a little child! For all I know he might be 12 years old. Somebody may say that he lives in hard times and in a poor city where are a lot of "glue-sniffers" and drunk people so I cannot blame him for getting into this kind of situations. That's okay I respect that but as for me, I am not into this type of stories.
Even though I didn't like this book,I wasn't bored while reading it and the ending was actually satisfying.
There are some fragments which I find outrageously touching. For example moment's when Mickey is being bullied because of his appearance. I was shocked. Maybe that's because I have never expereinced this kind of behaviour personally.
In conclusion, I would not recommend "The good son" to teenagers especially. As far as I know the more mature readers liked it, there are many positive reviews of it and that's the main reason why I choosed this novel.

[Anastacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul MCVeigh's debut novel- 'The Good Son' features a delightful narrator who's struggling to negotiate poverty, paranoia and violence. The author shows us a story of Mickey Donelly- his terryfing world where no nostalgia has its place in the depiction of simmering brutality and everyone- British soldiers, the IRA, the neighbours is watching everyone else. The rare trip beyond his environment affects the mind of Mickey- he realizes that rich people don't have any troubles. Notwithstanding this, he has to take on all the difficulties on his own- it's a boy's train of thought.
The book is an amazing example how love makes people fearless as it does to Mickey. He's able to take on anyone that threatens or hurts the ones he almost adores- Mammy, Wee Maggie and Killer. This piece of art makes us aware of a real sense of a broken family living in a broken society. Reading a type of thing like that is not so easy. I can say that it hit me like a ton of bricks. My fellings were changing alternately during the cognizing of the plot. I think we should also take the hidden agenda into account. It's something which each of us is ought to do on one's own. The brilliant and touching story in my eyes. The narrator's fight with the despair, the bleakness and the violence- this is unlikely just to give your opinion. It's not enough to express your feedback and write a review. You have to live to tell the tale to truly understand the book. And I can guarantee that you'll feel as the participant of the boy's world authentically.

[Ola W · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to start this review with word "bad", but I'm not going to lie. I didn't like this book. I don't want to say that it's bad, because the author was awarded for it and got a lot of positive feedback, also someone (not me) might really like it.
There isn't one, particular reason why I didn't find this book appealing, but one of those factors was certainly the language. I mean, it's always good to brush up on your language skills, by reading some old literature or books written in dialect, but for me it was sometimes tiring to see letters jumping in places that for the man in the street is just weird.
The story was also an issue for me. After reading 1/4 of the book I had genuinely problem with setting out the time (year) there.
Also all these names were just confusing. Out of 8 days of reading, for 3 I thought Measles was Mickey's grandma. I honestly don't know how this happened, but it did.
Of course the story had it ups and its downs, just like every other story, but in the end I want to say something good about "The good son". It was different. Normally young people and in general - people - don't read that kind of books. They prefere some funny, comedy-like stories, gripping, gory criminals or very moving, making-you-miserable dramas. I don't regret reading it, because now I know that this kind of book isn't appealing for me, but it could be. This is why i rated it 2 out of 5 stars. We can learn from everything that we read, even the cereal box. It can teach us in many ways, like e.g. how to write a formal letter, who was the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and why he was such a big deal or how many calories has a granola bar. This story taught me that I should probably stick to teen literature, because they are better for me, at least for now.

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Son, by Paul McVeigh, tells the story of eleven year old Mickey Donnelly, who lives in Belfast’s troubled Ardoyne but has problems in his life far greater than those caused by sectarian violence. Mickey is different from the other kids and they make is life miserable because of it. He dreams of going to America and living the life he sees on TV. Hemmed in as he is by the segregated schools and housing, the peace lines and death threats, he cannot travel beyond his few home streets.

When the book opens Mickey is looking forward to escaping his local primary school and the misery daily life there entails. He has been offered a place at a grammar school where he hopes he can make a fresh start, find friends and fit in with those who are more like him. Few from his area ever pass the selection tests. When his parents turn up at his school, dressed in their Sunday best, he thinks that somebody must have died. The news they give him is far worse.

Mickey’s Da is a drunk without a job. Mickey hates him for making his beloved Ma’s life so hard. She and his eldest sister work but there is never enough money. Mickey does what he can to be a good son, but his natural exuberance and dreamy nature are a liability. He is expected to grow up and conform.

The story unfolds over the course of the long summer holiday before Mickey starts at his new school. He wants to play with his wee sister, Maggie, but she is itching to join in with the other girls in their street. Mickey would be happy to play with them too, but boys and girls their age rarely mix. When he tries he is mocked and derided.

The background to their lives involves riots and shootings, bombings and random house searches. Helicopters fly overhead and security forces patrol the streets. Mickey knows not to watch too closely and to turn his back when incidents happen. There are some things it is better not to know, especially those which involve his older brother, Paddy.

The violence and poverty are just a part of Mickey’s life. What worries him more is his difference and how to cope with his peers. The author has captured the difficulties faced by a child of this age with a realism that made my heart ache.

There is much humour beside the pathos. Mickey has an infectious energy and optimism despite the wasteland where he resides. He is easily distracted, creating trouble for himself, then dreaming up schemes to undo the damage he has wrought.

I feared where the denouement was going, but this story is about the journey. The author skillfully portrays life in Ardoyne at this difficult time, a tale of a boyhood that he captures perfectly. Mickey Donnelly is a character it would be hard not to care for. He is one I will not readily forget.

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul McVeigh is to Belfast what Irvine Welsh is to Leith or Kerry Hudson is to Aberdeen. His stories, whether fiction or memoir, reveal the rich and vivid world of working-class life in Belfast from the Troubles to now. His debut novel The Good Son won all the prizes and he’s just edited the first collection of working-class voices from Ireland (The 32--like 'Common People'). H Mickey Donnelly is the protagonist of The Good Son, First person present-tense narration from inside the head of 10 year old Mickey who is ‘called gay’. It begins: ‘I was born the day the Troubles started’.
CThis is a world divided by religion and class but seemingly eveyrone can agree on one thing: being gay is going to send you to Hell: ‘I've only seen protestants on the TV' and ‘who’s ever heard of a posh Catholic’. He writes very well the particular sadness of difference ‘dead but full of feelings’ he says, in confession. ‘This might be what hell’s like’.

Paul and I had many similar aspects to our childhoods so it struck a chord. I enjoyed interviewing him for my BBC TV show The Big Scottish Book Club.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the very first page. Mickey is a delight and this is the story of the summer before he starts senior school in Northern Ireland at the time of the Troubles (which started on the day he was born). The story is poignant, exciting, funny, sad and reminds us how painful it is not to fit in. Paul McVeigh is a superb writer and this book is so accomplished it shows him to be highly skilled at his craft. My favourite book in a long time and I can't wait for read more from Paul.

[Tracy Fells]

Wee Mickey is a big hit with me. Took a few pages for the accent to seep in, but then I could hear Mickey's voice clear in my head and was endlessly worried for him. An authentic child's view of 'the troubles' in late 70s Belfast cleverly showing us all the traumas and challenges facing a family living on the wrong side of Shankhill Road. By the end of this book you'll be rooting for all of Mickey's dreams to come true.

[Avalina Kreska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul McVeigh's novel, 'The Good Son' just left me breathless! For three days I've been in Ireland, living alongside a young boy who tugged so hard at my heart strings it almost made me want to have children, (almost!). The main character, a young boy named Mickey Donnelly's love of his Ma and wee sister Maggie overrides all fear, hate and pain, as he struggles valiantly with puberty, a divided people and the cruelty of children. I couldn't lay down this book - such a child's lightness of spirit, drenched in courage and ingenuity, I wondered how this young boy would ever make it through...(no spoilers here). I laughed hard many, many times...(Killer in the Communion dress with the pearls), Paul gave me a glimpse into a world I'd often read about but now feel as though I've truly experienced (and now I'm exhausted - but in a wonderful 'after rigorous sex' way).

A masterpiece - a must-read - beautiful - stirring - surely there will be a film...

[Zoe King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing voice from the outset, characters instantly established, and as we read on, so the setting is cemented. A truly original voice for me, beautifully realised.
Told in a child's voice, we are privileged to follow the dynamics of Mickey Donnelly's somewhat dysfunctional family, and learn of the pressures of day to day life during the troubles, the fact that Mickey, as someone who is different from the people around him, finds it almost impossible to fit in or to trust anyone. Even his beloved Wee Maggie lets him down...
I have just finished this book and have now allowed myself to breathe, for the first time in many minutes. It is wonderful, the best book I've read in a very long time, hence its many awards and plaudits! It begins on page 1 and keeps you guessing until the final full stop. Congratulations to the author on a riveting read. I can't wait for the next one.
Mickey Donnelly, I'll be watching out for you!

[David Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't just read this novel, I inhabited it. I was lying on a sunbed in the Greek Island of Skopelos at the time, but I was totally transported by this skilful author to the Belfast of the Troubles. I really cared about the young protagonist, Mickey, and shared his joy and tears. For me, fiction became a reality that mattered to me. When I finished the last page I felt completely bereft. This is a great rites of passage novel. McVeigh skilfully intertwines the comic and the tragic in the style of all great writers. He had me laughing and welling up on the same page. A truly accomplished first novel, which, in spite of its convincing and satisfying denouement, leaves you wanting more.

[Fiona Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mickey Donnelly is funny and different, and really lifts off the page. He got under my skin so much that I found this book difficult to put down. Mickey is growing up in the midst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland - and boy, has Mickey got troubles of his own. He's so likeable and his situation so harrowing that I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what happens to him. One minute, I was laughing hard, the next I wanted to reach into the book and give him a massive hug. This book is far from bleak - it’s hilarious and at its heart is real hope. Wonderful!

[David Mcilwrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may take time to get in to if you're not a Northern Ireland native, but only in terms of the slang and general vernacular. I enjoyed every second I spent reading this book. Growing up close to where it was set I was able to visualise the places. Growing up in a version if Mickey's world made it all hit home that bit harder.

But even for those with only a TV/newspaper knowledge of our past, this book will take you in to the heart and mind of a very special boy.

[Santino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually hate it when writers use language to reflect dialect because it's normally distracting and, in many cases in my opinion, doesn't work. Except, when it does, it feels right, and it's invisible. Paul McVeigh captures the voice of Mickey and as a reader I was convinced from the first sentence. This book is incredible, touching, and utterly convincing. I lamented putting it down when I needed sleep.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. A quick, easy read despite being set during the Troubles in Belfast. Fell in love with the narrator, a young boy called Mickey Donnelly, who is smart, funny, full of dreams and devoted to his Ma and little sister Wee Maggie. Hilairious in parts, the novel also succeeds in showing the damage civil strife causes to families and communities. The dialogue is spot on and you'll find yourself reading it in a squeaky Belfast child's accent. Superb.

[Anthony Ferner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny, engaging and harrowing in turn, The Good Son presents The Troubles in 1980s Belfast as seen through the tangential gaze of the memorable young narrator, good-hearted Mickey Donnelly. He tries to steer his own quirky path in a community divided into polarised camps, having to untangle his confused feelings about the opposite sex along the way, and is determined to protect his mother and younger sister from the bad stuff, come what may.

[E.R. Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through a young boy's eyes, we get a funny yet heartbreaking coming of age tale that doubles as an insightful look at The Troubles in Northern Ireland. I love the voice and pace & would highly recommend this book. Mickey really will break your heart!

[Cathy Hemmings · Rating 5 out of 5]

decided to skim read this today on hour long dog walk as reviewing at book club tonight so needed to refresh. BUT no way can one skim read this. I am completely reading again and loving every minute. love this book

[Avril]

I loved this book. I also loved Mickey Donnelly. He is so believable and written with pinpoint accuracy. Paul is a brilliant writer and deserves to have great success with his first novel.

[Niamh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written with some fabulous turns of phrase, but it didn't grab me as much as I had hoped.

[Stef Smulders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving and at times funny but als sad story about a boy growing up in Belfast. All seen through the eyes of the boy himself which adds directness but at the cost of somewhat more background info.

[Kathie Yang · Rating 2 out of 5]

My friends and I read this book in the bathroom (as part of the reading challenge), so I read this very slowly. That could be part of why I felt a bit confused as to the point of the book. I also don't know a ton about the Troubles, and maybe if you have more context, the book is better.

So this book was weird. Like multiple times, I was like, "Now why the f would you write that??" That doesn't mean it's bad! It does mean I did not enjoy reading those parts. I get that they were supposed to show the awkwardness of growing up and all the questions you have, but I just did not enjoy those parts very much...

The main character is pretty cute, though. He truly is a good little son. In my head, he's like 11. If he's older, then I don't think the book makes as much sense. But if he's just a kid, it's cute how much he loves his Ma and Wee Maggie and just wants to help out. I definitely felt bad for him.

There are some interesting family and community dynamics, and some parts made me laugh out loud (e.g. when Ma is chasing someone with an axe). But did I really get something out of this book? I'm not so sure. Some of the plot lines are left unexplained, the main character doesn't change that much by the end, you only get a vague sense of what it was like to grow up during the Troubles...

Bottom Line: Would I recommend this book? No... not really... sorry

Rating: 2.5 rounded down
Category: Bathroom book!